Brantley Gilbert, Lindsay Ell Team for Driving ‘What Happens in a Small Town’ [LISTEN]

Two ace guitarists and bona fide country rockers have teamed up, and the resulting duet is just as smoldering as you might imagine. Lindsay Ell and Brantley Gilbert's new collaboration, "What Happens in a Small Town," was released to country radio on Friday (Dec. 14); readers can press play above to hear the driving new song.

"What Happens in a Small Town" tells the story of losing a relationship, but not the painful memories that the other person leaves behind. In a place where every street corner, stoplight, pizza joint and football field has some special memory of love attached to it, just walking around feels like reliving the relationship -- and its end -- over and over again.

"This song builds and burns," Gilbert says in a press release. "It really has that want for someone you can't have, and having to live in all these places that they are. I wanted to have someone on the record who could match those feelings, to really push the song. It's not just any female singer who makes sense, and we knew that. But Lindsay is a whole other kind of artist, and she understands that power."

Produced by guitarist and ACM-winning producer Dann Huff, the track spotlights guitarwork from both Gilbert and Ell. "It was great that they wanted me to play," Ell explains of the experience of serving as a musician -- not only a vocalist -- on the track.

"To be part of a song like this is great, but to be asked to play on someone's song who I respect so much takes it up another level," Ell adds. "Obviously playing in front of Dann Huff is something else, but he knew how to really push me -- and get a vocal that contains everything situations like this one are made of."

Gilbert has always prioritized honest, genuine songwriting taken from real-life experiences, and this track is no different. "Songs that come from your life just have a different kind of power," the country singer explains. "People can hear the difference, and they know.

"For this song, obviously I'm not the only guy -- or girl -- who's been there," he continues, "but I'm lucky / blessed enough to have been able to put it back together."